The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1887-12-23
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.
Seven Thousand square Miles of n Once
Popuious Plain Und~r Water.

SAN Francisco, December l5.-The
steamship City OF Sydney arrived this
afternoon from Hong Kong and YOkoha-
ma, bringing the details OF disaster &C.
casiOned by che Yellow River overfiowing
its banks in the Province of Ho-Nan. 1t
is described as one of the most appalling
occurrences in loss of life and property
recorded in recent times.
The river broke its banks on the even
ing of September 18th, southwest of the
city of Chin Choo, aud not only COM
pletely inundated that city, but also ten
other populous cities. The whole area
is now raging sea ten to thirty feet
deep, where il was once a densely popu-
lated and rich plain.
The former bed of the Yellow River is
now dry, and the present lake was the
bed OF the river centuries ago.
The loss of life is incalculable, and the
statement is made by missionaries that
millions of Chinese are homeless and
starving. Thomas Patton, one of the
American missionaries, writing from HO-
Nan Province, under date of October
18th, SAYS:
"The newly gathered crops, houses and
trees are all swept away, involving fear
full loss of life. The country was covered
with fine winter braid, which is gone,
and implies complete destruction tn next
years crop. Bread, breadp is the cry
of thousands, who are ON the river bank
Benevolent people go in boats and throw
bread among the masses here and there,
but it is nothing compared with the re-
quirements. The mass OF people is still
being increased by continual arrivals
even more hungry than the last. There
they sit, stunned, hungry and detected,
without rag To wear or a mOrscl Of
food Mud huts are being erected for
them. What it will he in two months
can not conceive. The misery is iHcreas-
ing, owing to the bitter cold weather."
Yellow River has long been known as
"China's Sorrow" and the present disas-
ter has served TO r6assert its right Ia the
terrible title. As yet details of the dis
aster are very meagre. 1t has occurred
in district where but few foreigners
are, and the reports furnished by the Off
Gals and published in the Pekin Gazette
convey very inadequate account of the
loss of life and property and the suffer
ings of the survivors.
NEARLY ALL DROWNED.
The Governor in Holman reports to
the Throne that NEARLY all the people
have been drowned in the district reach
ed by the water, the survivors being
those who escaped TO the high ground or
took refuge in trees, where they remained
till they were rescued"
This gives but little impression as to
.t.,t 81 g .I =
The Chinese Times states that in the
Province Chilli, where disastrous mum
datiOns have also occurred, there are
100000 people homeless, representing
those whose lives were destroyed, and
adds that the misery in that province is
tritling as compared with that caused by
HOaDg- Ho, or the Yellow River.
The extent of ground swept over by
the overwhelming food, given in English
figures, is over seven thousand square
miles, and the land thus submerged form
ed part of one of the richest and most
densely populated plains Of Northern
China. The necessity for liberal aid may
therefore be imagined. Already consid-
erabie sums have been contributed to-
ward the relief Of sufferers. The Empe-
ror of China has given 100000 taels,
and the Chinese have started subscrip-
ton list in Shanghai, to which foreigners
have literally contributed.
Millions have been rendered homeless
and entirely deprived of all chances of
earning "A livelyhOod, for their field. will
either become permanent lakes or uBin-
habitable swamps. 1t is feared that the
distress which will 0e felt during the
coming winter will equal in intensity
the famine Of ten yearsagO, when chart |
table donations contributed from all
parts of the world were utterly made |
luate. 1t is stated that owing to the |
action taken by the Yellow river, it no |
longer flows toward the sea, but seems |
content in converting Eastern Holman |
md Northern Nganwhui into lake. Ii
nay ultimately flow into the sea through |
the Kiangon, or it may even possibly |
Join the Yangteze.
Hoang-Ho, the yellow River" so
named from the color which the yellow
clay along its banks gives to It's waters,
S one OF the principal rivers Of the Chi
lcse Empire. Ii rises in the kOko-Nor
Territory, in Thibet near latitude "a
north, flows northeastward into Mongolia,
'e-eniers China proper, and after abrupt
lends southwark and eastward, enters
he Gulf of Pe.Chee-i.ec, after a total
,ourso estimated at 400 miles. On its
ranks are many cities OF first and second
aux, the principal beiag Lon Chou and
SM-Fong, respectively the capitals Of the
Provinces If kan.Soo aud ilo,Nan, Pre-
'ious To 1853 IL entered the yellow Sea
" = mouth some hundreds IL miles south
4 its present one. The stream u 81 tur-